1981 Topps Butch Hobson

Who is this? Butch Hobson, a former third baseman for the Boston Red Sox, California Angels and New York Yankees and former manager for the Boston Red Sox

What is this? An autograph card from the 1981 Topps set

Where'd I get it? I got it signed at a Somerset Patriots game in 2008

How much did it cost? The card was probably a quarter; the autograph was free

Why is this so special? Butch Hobson played in the major leagues from 1975-1982, finishing his career with a .248 lifetime average, 98 home runs and 347 RBI. He managed the Red Sox from 1992-1994, winning 207 games and losing 232.

Hobson managed the Nashua Pride in the Atlantic League and Can-Am League from 2000-2007, with a record of 508-456. He won a championship in his first season, and he won a division title in the Pride's final year in the Atlantic League in 2005.

In 2008, Hobson became the first manager for the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs and was recognized as the Atlantic League's Manager of the Year. This year, he took his team to the Atlantic League Championship Series, though they lost to the Somerset Patriots.

Hobson remains one of the most accessible and fan-friendly managers in the Atlantic League, even after all his years in independent baseball. I've never seen him turn down an autograph seeker, and he usually tries to make sure that polite children who ask for baseballs get them, at least on the road.

Hobson has a pretty nice autograph, though this looks like it was a somewhat rushed version.